Best low cost server backup

[Gopher_By_Fende]

Hey guys,

as the title says, i'm after the best option for a resonably low cost backup system for our server.

We have a single Win2k3 Server with the following RAID setup -

2 x 250gb SATA drives mirrored for the OS (233gb total)
4 x 250gb SATA drives mirrored and striped for storage (468gb total)

I was thinking of using the eSATA port on the Mobo to backup using external SATA drives. We have to keep a backup in the safe for insurance reasons, so i was thinking of having 2, one connected to the server doing nightly backups and the other in the safe, and swap them over each friday.

There are a few things im not sure on.

First, are eSATA drives hot swappable? I've never used them so i really havent a clue.

Also, what software would you recommend for backing up? I've looked at Ghost and TrueImage but they seem to only be for client OS, the server versions of them costing a small fortune.

Basically i want to backup complete images of both arrays onto a large enough external drive, with it doing an incremental backup each night, before being swapped on the friday for the other backup.

Is this possible? Is there a gaping flaw that i havent noticed?
Or is there a better or cheaper way of doing this? I know that backups are not the kind of thing you should scrimp on but i had a hard enough job prizing the money out of the bosses hands to buy the server in the first place

Cheers guys

Gopher

 

[Nebzor]

It depends on the eSATA controller. Some are hot swappable, some are not.

I don't see why you'd need any additional software? Windows Backup is a perfectly good tool if you know how to use it.

 

[Gopher_By_Fende]

ah cool, ill look into the aSATA port, maybe i should look in the manual

as for windows backup, is the one for server the same as XP's one? i've never really used either, although i have used the Vista one, which is very nice.

 

[Nebzor]

The XP and Win2003 versions of Backup are the same. I personally find it a lot better than the Vista version.

 

[Gopher_By_Fende]

Will the windows backup allow me to create disc image that i can use to restore the system using a boot disc? or does it just backup the files?

 

[Nebzor]

It will create a .bkf file, which can be used to completely restore whatever you backed up (system configs, user configs, entire hard drives etc.)